The Universe as a Scroll: A Qur'anic Metaphor in Light of Modern Cosmology

By Naseer Ahmed, New Age Islam 9 October 2024 The Simile In Quran 21:104 Compares The Universe To A Scroll Or Book That Contains The Story Of The Universe, And As The Story Unfolds, So Does The Scroll Rollout With Time, And When The Story Is Completed, It Will Be Rolled Up, Provides A Profound Metaphor For The Cyclical Nature Of Cosmic Creation And Dissolution ------ The Quran uses the metaphor of the unfolding scroll of a book as it is written for the expanding Universe, which will be rolled up once the book or the story is completed.: (21:104) The Day that We roll up the heavens like a scroll rolled up for books (completed), - even as We produced the first creation, so shall We produce a new one: a promise We have undertaken: truly shall We fulfil it. Let us try to understand the verse better by relating it to what we have learned from science. Shape of the Universe There are three main possibilities of what the shape of the Universe could be based on general relativity and current observations: 1. Flat Universe (Euclidean): If the universe has zero curvature, space will extend infinitely in all directions like a flat plane. This means parallel lines remain parallel, and the angles in a triangle would add up to 180 degrees. Current data from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), especially from the Planck satellite, suggest that the universe is very close to flat, with only a tiny margin for curvature, if any. An interesting video on the size and shape of the Universe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u23vZsJbrjE 2. Closed Universe (Spherical): If the universe has positive curvature, it would be analogous to the surface of a sphere. If you travel far enough in one direction, you’ll eventually return to your starting point. The universe would be finite but unbounded, meaning it has a finite volume but no edges. The angles in a triangle would sum to more than 180 degrees. 3. Open Universe (Hyperbolic): If the universe has negative curvature, it would have a saddle-like shape. In this scenario, space would also extend infinitely, but with diverging parallel lines and the angles of a triangle summing to less than 180 degrees. Current evidence, particularly from the CMB and large-scale structure observations, points to the universe being very close to flat. However, there is still some debate, and further data could refine these models. However, even if the universe is flat, it may still be finite depending on its topology, meaning it could "loop" back on itself in specific ways. These models describe the universe's geometry, not necessarily the entire topology, which could be more complex depending on how space is connected. The simile in Quran 21:104 compares the universe to a scroll or book that contains the story of the Universe, and as the story unfolds, so does the scroll rollout with time, and when the story is completed, it will be rolled up, provides a profound metaphor for the cyclical nature of cosmic creation and dissolution. This imagery, with its implications of expansion, contraction, and renewal, aligns remarkably with modern cosmological theories and the observed dynamics of the universe. Expansion of the Universe: A Scroll Unfolding The metaphor of the universe as an unfolding scroll echoes the discovery of the universe's expansion, a key finding of 20th-century cosmology. In 1929, astronomer Edwin Hubble observed that distant galaxies are moving away from each other, indicating that the universe is expanding. This expansion can be visualised as the unfolding of a scroll, where the fabric of space-time stretches and reveals more of the cosmos as time progresses. This can be likened to rolling out the scroll to write the story as the story of the Universe progresses with time. The expanding universe is like an unfolding scroll; its contents are galaxies, stars, planets, and the vast structures of matter. The simile captures the essence of the universe’s dynamic nature. It is constantly expanding, much like a scroll unfurling its story. The Qur'anic imagery evokes the notion of a purposeful and gradual unfolding of creation, mirroring the scientific understanding of an evolving universe with a beginning (the Big Bang) and an ongoing process of expansion. Rolling Up the Universe: Cosmic Contraction The second part of the simile, where the heavens are described as being "rolled up" like a scroll, resonates with cosmological ideas about the potential fate of the universe. While current data suggests the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, there are theoretical models, particularly those involving a closed universe, that predict a future contraction. In such models, after a period of expansion, the universe could reverse its course in a "Big Crunch" scenario, where gravity overwhelms the expansion, causing the universe to collapse in on itself—much like a scroll being rolled up. This notion of a cosmic contraction is remarkably similar to the Quranic metaphor of the heavens being rolled up once the "story" of the universe is complete. It suggests a return to a more condensed state, a possible precursor to a new cycle of creation, similar to the cyclical model implied by the verse: the current universe comes to an end, only to be followed by the creation of a new one. This idea of renewal also aligns with theories of cyclic cosmology, where the universe goes through infinite cycles of birth, expansion, contraction, and rebirth. The Shape of the Universe and the Scroll Metaphor The simile of a scroll can also be analysed in the context of the possible shapes of the universe—flat, closed, or open. A scroll, with its two-dimensional surface, could represent the universe's flatness, as suggested by current observational data. If the universe is indeed flat, it would expand infinitely like a scroll unrolling without bounds. At the same time, rolling the scroll back up can be interpreted as the potential for this expansion to reverse, bringing the universe back into a finite, closed form, akin to the closed universe model where space curves back on itself. The simile remains valid if the universe is closed, as in the spherical model. Just as a scroll has edges that can be brought together, a closed universe could experience a contraction phase, where its curvature causes it to return to its original, compact form. Much like a rolled scroll, the spherical universe has a finite volume but no edges, making the imagery equally fitting. A Promise of New Creation The verse concludes with the promise that after the heavens are rolled up, a new creation will follow, echoing theories in cosmology about the possibility of new universes emerging after the end of the current one. This aligns with speculative theories such as the Big Bounce, where the universe undergoes cycles of expansion and contraction, with each collapse leading to a new Big Bang and the birth of a new universe. This cyclical nature of cosmic creation is deeply resonant with the idea presented in the verse—that the end of one creation leads to the beginning of another, a promise of perpetual renewal. Conclusion The Quranic simile of the universe as a scroll unfolding and later being rolled up is remarkably appropriate when considering the nature and potential fate of the universe as understood in modern cosmology. It elegantly captures the universe's expansion, the possibility of its eventual contraction, and the promise of renewal—a new creation following the completion of the current one. This description from a Book written over 1,400 years ago resonates deeply with contemporary scientific understanding. It is a profound observation of the cosmos, its expanding nature, shape, and cyclical nature expressed with an evocative metaphor in very few words in a single verse. Which of the Signs of Allah will you deny? ----- A frequent contributor to NewAgeIslam.com, Naseer Ahmed is an Engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur and is an independent IT consultant after having served in both the Public and Private sector in responsible positions for over three decades. He has spent years studying Quran in-depth and made seminal contributions to its interpretation. 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